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Technical Cosworth steering box

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by indianapolisracer, Dec 23, 2018.

  1. indianapolisracer
    Joined: Feb 9, 2011
    Posts: 171

    indianapolisracer
    Member

    My car has a standard Vega steering box with an 18 to 1 ratio , I am told a Cosworth Vega box has a 13 to 1 ratio resulting in a much quicker steering automobile problem is where can I find one of these boxes for my car ?
     
  2. dan31
    Joined: Jul 3, 2011
    Posts: 1,100

    dan31
    Member

    Summit has Classic Performance 400 Series #cp50005nv it's 13.6 to 1
     
  3. Pete Eastwood
    Joined: Jul 27, 2011
    Posts: 1,316

    Pete Eastwood
    Member
    from california

    lengthen the pitman arm, that will make it quicker . . .
     
  4. Vic Walter
    Joined: Jan 21, 2018
    Posts: 172

    Vic Walter
    Member

    Montana1 likes this.
  5. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,819

    goldmountain

    COSWORTH VEGAS are collectible cars so there isn't much point in searching for an unavailable part

    Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  6. 42merc
    Joined: Dec 19, 2010
    Posts: 961

    42merc
    Member

    These are power steering boxes.
     
    KevKo likes this.
  7. indianapolisracer
    Joined: Feb 9, 2011
    Posts: 171

    indianapolisracer
    Member

    Thanks man
     
  8. deathrowdave
    Joined: May 27, 2014
    Posts: 4,868

    deathrowdave
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from NKy

    I did not know there were 2 ratio Vega boxes . Mustangs did use 2 different ratio boxes . That does not mean there are not 2 Vega boxes , but if Cosworth only , that’s a rare bird on it’s own
     
  9. Montana1
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 2,135

    Montana1
    Member

  10. Montana1
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 2,135

    Montana1
    Member

    I was just looking at the Borgeson 920004 unit yesterday and not to hi-jack your thread, but what does it mean when it says "front steer"? Does that imply there is a "rear steer" also? :confused:

    My box is behind the axle, but the pitman arm points toward the front. Is that "front steer"?
     
    GuyW likes this.
  11. Gary Addcox
    Joined: Aug 28, 2009
    Posts: 2,562

    Gary Addcox
    Member

    Is the box from Summit made in the U.S.A. ? I'm asking because anything to do with steering my rides will have to be made here, where metallurgy and quality control are present.
     
  12. Fordors
    Joined: Sep 22, 2016
    Posts: 6,288

    Fordors
    Member

    That box might have the steering ratio you are interested in but the CP50005NV bears no resemblance to a Vega box. Go to the Classic Performance website and look how it mounts, they use a fabricated plate that puts the Vega style bolt holes on the sector shaft area of the casting and a Vega box has mount holes near the worm shaft.
    Compare the physical differences to a true Vega steering box and it will be clear it is not for you.
     
  13. dan31
    Joined: Jul 3, 2011
    Posts: 1,100

    dan31
    Member

    Your right,I somehow missed that .
    I have no idea , I see that CPP is in California and on their website it says they manufacture stuff there BUT do they make everything there?, I don't know.
     
  14. jaw22w
    Joined: Mar 2, 2013
    Posts: 1,701

    jaw22w
    Member
    from Indiana

    I originally built my T with a Vega box from Speedway. In less than 3K miles that box had become a loose, sloppy POS. Way too much steering effort and way too slow. Speedway stood behind it and I replaced it with a Uni-Steer half rack. I hated the looks of it. It was much more positive and a little faster, but still required too much effort. Both of my shoulders are more worn out than that Speedway Vega steering box was, so I can't be hanging on the side of the wheel to turn it in a parking lot. So steering effort carries a lot of weight in my steering decisions.
    I then purchased a CPP 400 power steering unit. This is a 13.6:1 box. The box itself is the same size as a Vega and installs on the Vega mount, so getting the box in there was not too tough. The limited room in the engine bay of my T made installing the pump a little tough. 10 pounds in a 5 pound sack. It was worth the effort. My T coupe steers like a new car now.
    I know the power steering is not very traditional, but for me , it means the difference in driving my hot rod or not.
     
    Montana1, figure8 and GuyW like this.
  15. Not meaning rear steer as far as the rear axle. Front steer is in front of the cross member, rear would be behind the front cross member.
     
  16. nobby
    Joined: Jan 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,358

    nobby
    Member

    I think on a power steering box you have to get everything bang on correct , what I mean is.. the ball nut goes to
    the end of its travel and opens a valve to relieve the fluid pressure for the return.
    IF yoou do not have the correct pitmann arm length relative to your steering arm relative to the position of the opening valve, you will be in trouble.

    someone needs to cut one open and mount it and fart arse around with pitmann arms and steering arm lengths
    13.6 seems really fast, I bet the stock length of the pitman that comes with these is no more than 5 inches long? Is there enough travel side to side of the ball nut? |IF you do have to achieve 2.5 inches each way to lock out ?I always though you needed a 7.5 inch long pitmann to get 2.5 inches each way, BEFORE the nut crashed into the inside of the steering box

    also while I am on, is there NOT a finite length for stock 22-1 manual vega boxes with 'x-brand 7'' long steering arms, to NOt have the ball nut travel to the end on the inside of the steering box before the spindle hits the stop?

    i.e. the steering arm length of a vega is 4 ish inches, not 7
     
  17. Montana1
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 2,135

    Montana1
    Member

    :confused:
     
  18. nobby
    Joined: Jan 8, 2006
    Posts: 1,358

    nobby
    Member

    they mean cross steer - steering box at the front of the car
    rather than the other steering box they now do -side-steer borgeson - push pull,
    steering box at base of column -what ever you call it
     
  19. Montana1
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 2,135

    Montana1
    Member

    To answer my own question, I did a little searching and found this on another site that has to do with roundy-round racing... sorry to swipe the thread, but I'm bringing it back around.

    "Front and rear steer is where the steering box is located on the frame.

    Up until the early to mid 80s all Cup cars were rear steer meaning the box was located on the frame behind the front tires. That style was known as Ford steering, Holman Moody and Banjo Matthews dominated the market of building rear steer Cup chassis for Cup.

    Then came Bobby Allison and Mike Laughlin with the Chevy style box in front of the tires, being the geometry was much easier to work out and the drivers preferring the feel of that style of steering it is now dominate."


    So what we have now, is a front steer Vega box (in factory configuration), used in a rear steer configuration on our early Ford hot rods with a dropped axle. Bingo!

    Now, back to the original poster's question... According to Borgeson, it appears that the Cosworth Vega has the same ratio, manual steering box as a standard Vega.

    https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...s/make/chevrolet/model/vega/submodel/cosworth
     
    jaw22w and figure8 like this.

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